TSA stupidity reaches new heights

[Corwyn]

Look the sign on the entrance to the Warsaw Airport Security area (blunt instruments... srsly? You can buy a bottle of Jack in a Duty Free and bludgeon someone to death than...)



And here is what the "geniuses" in the airport almost confiscated off me (it's an UltraFire CREE XML T6... aka 17 cm and 150 grams..., scary huh?):

[Kampfer]

No pistols allowed, so rifles and MG are good to go?

[Corwyn]

No pistols allowed, so rifles and MG are good to go?

This reminds me of another sample of stupidity.
I tried to post a Vic Classic to Australia and when they saw it, they all stepped back scared.
Postlady: "you can't send a white weapon by mail".
Me (flabbergasted): "Why not?"
Postlady (taken aback): "Well... can you take a knife on a flight?"
Me: "Not really..."
Postlady (proud of her quick thinking): "That's the same reason you can't post it by mail"
Me (left speechless by the stupidity and dumbfounded by the idea of the Classic jumping out by himself from the box and lopping heads off): "... okie... bye than"

PS: Classic was split into parts, sticky-taped to cardboard and set as letter in the end 

[Steinar]

– Can you take a knife on a flight?
– Yes.

Quite a lot of countries follows the current IATA rules and allows for knives on flights (again), including the nanny states of Western Europe. (Max blade length 6 cm.)

(Not to make fun of your problem, I just think those of us living places where it's allowed should remember it and keep the security personnel used to seeing knives.)

[kkokkolis]

I can strangle a man, break his neck or stop his heart hitting both his carotids, with my bare hands. Maybe I should cut them off next time I travel by airplane.
Wait! I can kick a man in his groins with my feet. So I should cut off my right foot, because the other will be harmlessly used to stand up and move by jumping.
Perhaps I should preventively remove my incisors and canines that can harm innocent people if I aim to bite, that's just 12 teeth, a reasonable measure.
But with no teeth, no arms and just one foot I would scare everybody and someone might have a heart attack, so I should abstain from air travel totally for security reasons.
 

[Steinar]

Finally a citizen who understands his responsibility! Well spoken, sir! 

[Corwyn]

– Can you take a knife on a flight?
– Yes.

Quite a lot of countries follows the current IATA rules and allows for knives on flights (again), including the nanny states of Western Europe. (Max blade length 6 cm.)

(Not to make fun of your problem, I just think those of us living places where it's allowed should remember it and keep the security personnel used to seeing knives.)

No offense taken, of course.
I travel throughout Europe and seen many different feedback, but for some strange reason the Western countries seem more relaxed (even if there wasn't any terrorist incident in Eastern Europe that I've ever heard of) - I guess splitting tools is too risky/tiresome... they'd rather just avoid the hassle altogether and throw anything away:
Examples of things I've seen:
Bucharest Romania confiscated 1 cm scissors and a plastic tool-thingy
Warsaw Poland has that sign above
Vienna Austria almost confiscated my flashlight as well
Oslo Norway threw away my nose drops bottle
Zurich Switzerland confiscated a flute as it was made of wood...

On the other side:
London UK kept trying to convince me there was no point in checking in my baggage as the Sheffield multiblade is fine
Zurich Switzerland Airport is where I bought 3 of my saks...

[David]

I can strangle a man, break his neck or stop his heart hitting both his carotids, with my bare hands. Maybe I should cut them off next time I travel by airplane.
Wait! I can kick a man in his groins with my feet. So I should cut off my right foot, because the other will be harmlessly used to stand up and move by jumping.
Perhaps I should preventively remove my incisors and canines that can harm innocent people if I aim to bite, that's just 12 teeth, a reasonable measure.
But with no teeth, no arms and just one foot I would scare everybody and someone might have a heart attack, so I should abstain from air travel totally for security reasons.
 

Finally a citizen who understands his responsibility! Well spoken, sir! 

   that gave me a good laugh.

[Steinar]

Examples of things I've seen:
Bucharest Romania confiscated 1 cm scissors and a plastic tool-thingy
Warsaw Poland has that sign above
Vienna Austria almost confiscated my flashlight as well
Oslo Norway threw away my nose drops bottle
Zurich Switzerland confiscated a flute as it was made of wood...

On the other side:
London UK kept trying to convince me there was no point in checking in my baggage as the Sheffield multiblade is fine
Zurich Switzerland Airport is where I bought 3 of my saks...

Makes traveling that much more fun, right? 

Makes me think of a short story I read where the protagonist were forced to board the train to city B while in city A, was greeted by the police in city B, and forced to board the train to city A...

[enki_ck]

No pistols allowed, so rifles and MG are good to go?

This reminds me of another sample of stupidity.
I tried to post a Vic Classic to Australia and when they saw it, they all stepped back scared.
Postlady: "you can't send a white weapon by mail".
Me (flabbergasted): "Why not?"
Postlady (taken aback): "Well... can you take a knife on a flight?"
Me: "Not really..."
Postlady (proud of her quick thinking): "That's the same reason you can't post it by mail"
Me (left speechless by the stupidity and dumbfounded by the idea of the Classic jumping out by himself from the box and lopping heads off): "... okie... bye than"

PS: Classic was split into parts, sticky-taped to cardboard and set as letter in the end 

I've had this conversation before.

Mine went:
P: Cause it's forbidden.
E: No, it's not.
P: (Checks regulations.) Oh, I see.

Teach them, they don't know everything although some think they do. It will be easier the next time you have to send something like that per post. For some reason a lot of people are knife scared and think everything like it is forbidden. But I doubt she'd give you any grief if you'd have tried to ship a 15cm/6" chef's knife. Cause that is a kitchen tool and the Vic Classic is a weapon.
 

As for the flashlight, the strike bezel on it might have been a reason. Could be considered a kubaton and those are a no-no.

[babola]

"Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles"

LOL! Need we say more?

[Lynn LeFey]

Mine went:
P: Cause it's forbidden.
E: No, it's not.
P: (Checks regulations.) Oh, I see.

Mine went
P: You can't ship that
L: Why?
P: It's restricted
L: 'Restricted' means there are restrictions. According to your postal code (code number quoted), it means you have to ensure the postal carrier won't be damaged by the blade during shipping. I have.
P: ...  ... ... YOU CAN'T SHIP THAT.
Lynn goes to 'Pac Mail' to ship it... who just use USPS most of the time.
 

I can't carry a dinky blade, but I can take kevlar cord that I could garrote someone with. Or shoelaces. Or use a laptop as a bludgeoning device. Whatever. Stupidity running amok.

[Caranthanus]

 


 

[styx]

all I can say is that TSA isn't overly happy when you strip in a non designated zone because of a knee brace. For people in Amsterdam they were surprisingly not mellow about it

[ironraven]

Oh dear gods, security weenies who don't know how to use a kubaton and freak out about them. There is exactly one reason I still own a minimag, and there it is.

"Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles"

The day the bloody TSA tries to take away my nose, I will disarm someone.

The wookie way.

[Corwyn]

"Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles"

The day the bloody TSA tries to take away my nose, I will disarm someone.

[Aloha]

Silliness to an extreme at the airport. 

I can strangle a man, break his neck or stop his heart hitting both his carotids, with my bare hands. Maybe I should cut them off next time I travel by airplane.
Wait! I can kick a man in his groins with my feet. So I should cut off my right foot, because the other will be harmlessly used to stand up and move by jumping.
Perhaps I should preventively remove my incisors and canines that can harm innocent people if I aim to bite, that's just 12 teeth, a reasonable measure.
But with no teeth, no arms and just one foot I would scare everybody and someone might have a heart attack, so I should abstain from air travel totally for security reasons.
 

 

[Grathr]

Looking forward to the day, when the only way you are allowed to fly is naked in an overall issued by the TSA, in your socks, chained to your seat....


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[Lynn LeFey]

Looking forward to the day, when the only way you are allowed to fly is naked in an overall issued by the TSA, in your socks, chained to your seat....


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

Don't forget the Hannibal Lecter bite-mask for people with teeth.

[kkokkolis]

No, very dangerous. You can hit a nasty header with that, particularly if you are good in soccer, or Billy Crystal.

[ironraven]

No, very dangerous. You can hit a nasty header with that, particularly if you are good in soccer, or Billy Crystal.

Fine! Gimpsuits, ballgags and tied into your seat for everyone.

Statistically speaking, at least someone should have fun.

[comis]

I usually have no problem compiling with TSA rules, but sometimes they have such power trip that I could sworn their heads are bigger than the airport.

In terms of flashlight, beware if there is anything that vaguely resemble a 'striking bezel'.  Thanks to all the outdoor gear manufacturers for painting everything black and calling them 'tactical', now even something as subdue as a flashlight might be a WMD.

[glorn]

Everyone involved in creating TSA regulations should be shot, beaten and stabbed.

Oh, and then have five ounces of hair cream rubbed in their eyes. Not 2 ounces or 3. Exactly 5 full ounces.

Then we smother them with a zip lock bag.

[babola]

You're taking this far too seriously...

[DazMechanical]

Against everything I believe in, I find it easier to just put everything in checked luggage than deal with all the dramas with the retards that are Airport Security.

[Lynn LeFey]

Against everything I believe in, I find it easier to just put everything in checked luggage than deal with all the dramas with the retards that are Airport Security.

The problem comes when you don't take checked luggage. Which I never do. The airlines have a history of sending my luggage to some place I'm not going. The airlines have a history of stealing smurf from checked luggage. The airlines suxor.

[lowtech]

From what I read here and hear elsewhere, to me it seems the main problem is the different interpretaion of the rules - I guess it should be fairly easy to obey the rules, if they make sense or not is a different matter, if the people checking you were better informed about what rules and regulations there are.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Conversation I had with a TSA rep in Detroit.

TSA Rep: You can not bring that on the plane, it will be confiscated.

Me: You should read the rules because I most certainly can and no it will not.

TSA Rep: As he slips a rubber glove on to his extra large hand. "You are going to feel a slight pressure"

Me: Keep it!

[Etherealicer]

Well, what do you expect, we want cheap flights, the airport wants to make profit ergo we have badly payed staff. Adding to this that half the customers are stubborn smurfholes (30 years ago, I didn't have to take off my belt / But my second cousin in XY didn't have to take the wallet out of his pocket - both actual dialog I have heard in the TSA line).
So, we have badly paid, badly trained staff that gets grief for nothing all day long. No wonder they are uncooperative. The only smart thing is to avoid confrontation with those people, don't be another stubborn smurfhole that argues over nothing holding the line up.

If you want to check in anything that they might not know its illegal. NEVER be confrontational it doesn't work. Bring the airport leaflet that shows its legal to carry. And remember, all I wrote above is ten times worse on domestic flights (they have to be even cheaper).

[DazMechanical]

Against everything I believe in, I find it easier to just put everything in checked luggage than deal with all the dramas with the retards that are Airport Security.

The problem comes when you don't take checked luggage. Which I never do. The airlines have a history of sending my luggage to some place I'm not going. The airlines have a history of stealing smurf from checked luggage. The airlines suxor.

I take 4 -6 flights a year for prob 15 years now, both domestic and international and I've never had a problem with any of my luggage being sent somewhere it shouldn't have or had anything stolen. I guess it's just luck of the draw.